For Officially, the 1.5-litre A180CDI will average 74.3 mpg, and with a CO2 output of just 98g/km, it’s sure to win big brownie points from company car drivers.
Against The engine is distinctly clattery at tickover and at low speeds, and a good deal of vibration can be felt through the pedals. Even the comfort suspension is very firm.
The engine is not particularly cultured, but once you get it singing along it’s relatively hushed, providing decent pulling power and a fair turn of speed. CO2 and fuel economy is extremely impressive, too.
There are three choices of suspension on the A-Class; Comfort, AMG Sport and Engineered by AMG.
Even the Comfort suspension will be too firm for many tastes, feeling jittery on any road that isn’t perfectly smooth. The AMG Sport is even less comfortable, but it does provide better body control to complement the car’s strong grip. Don’t even think about the Engineered by AMG arrangement; it’s so firm, you’d have to be a masochist.
The diesel engines are disappointing because they’re noisy and generate too much vibration. The petrols are better, being smooth and happy to rev, but they’re also relatively underpowered compared with key rivals.
The standard six-speed manual gearbox is fine, although the twin-clutch gearbox is also worth considering. This is standard with the 1.8 diesel and 2.0 petrol, and a cost-option across the range.
We reckon a A180 petrol car, on Comfort suspension with 16-inch wheels and a manual gearbox represents the best compromise.
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